The Sun has produced a surprising wraparound cover today as a publicity gimmick aimed at convincing readers of the benefits of paying for access to its website.
A day ahead of the paper erecting its online paywall - a service called Sun+ - its opening three pages are dedicated to a mission statement based around the changes wrought by the digital revolution.
The cover, which appears to have drawn its inspiration from Danny Boyle's "Isles of Wonder" opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics, is unashamedly nationalistic.
It shows various British geographical and architectural landmarks alongside a disparate mixture of symbols, activities and people that illustrate what The Sun clearly believes are enduring national characteristics.
Some are mythical, and some are fictional. They include the white cliffs of Dover, the flags of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Queen, Blackpool tower, a fish and chip shop, Hogwarts, the Loch Ness monster and footballer John Terry.
An accompanying editorial, starting on the front and turning to page 2, welcomes "the incredible transformation of our country by technology." It continues:
"Ten years ago smartphones were science fiction. Only four years ago, iPads were unheard of. Soon half the country will own a tablet, even more a smartphone...
Lightning fast broadband will transform our daily lives in ways we cannot yet imagine. These giant leaps aren't some distant dream…
The pace of change can be bewildering. But tomorrow The Sun will embrace it with the launch of Sun+"
It concludes by saying that it seems to be the right moment "to set out here where we stand on the issues vital to us, to you our readers and to Britain."
Pages 2 and 3, headlined "This is where The Sun stands", then detail the paper's views on a variety of topics, including politics, the NHS, Europe, immigration and education.
These restate familiar Sun positions. So we learn that the paper is not a slavish supporter of any party, is Eurosceptic, believes in welcoming immigrants "who come here for the right reasons", thinks "our troops" are "Britain's greatest heroes", loves the royal family and supports press freedom.
The Sun enjoys sport (when we win), is proud of the NHS (but says it needs "urgent surgery") and backs the welfare state (only as a safety net and not as "a permanent lifestyle choice").
One noticeable omission from the hymns of praise is the police. The Sun has nothing to say about the forces of law and order. Could that have anything to do with the fact that so many of its editorial staff have been arrested?
Clearly, the central message of this extraordinary tub-thumping extravaganza is the need to secure website subscribers willing to pay £2 a week for its content.
Aside from the paper's journalistic output, people who sign up for Sun+ will be able to see Premier League clips. It is offering early adopters a £1 discount for the first two months.
It is thought that The Sun will need to attract anywhere between more than 250,000 and 350,000 subscribers to cover the loss of online advertising and recoup the £30m-plus it has paid for football highlights.
Currently, The Sun has about 1.7m daily unique browsers and some 27m monthly users. If the Times/Sunday Times paywall experience is any guide, then traffic is likely to fall by at least 90%.
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